1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to cleaning implements and more particularly to a cleaning implement with a removable scrubber element suitable for use with cooking surfaces such as grills.
2. Related History
The cleaning of cooking implements such as grills, for example, including barbecue grill grates, was a time consuming and often arduous task. The accumulation of solid food particles as well as grease upon grill surfaces presented unique problems. Burnt food particles were found caked to grill grates. Liquid, paste and abrasive cleansers often left their own residue which presented a source of possible food contamination.
Among the cleaning devices heretofore employed for such tasks were metal scrapers, fibrous metal and nonmetal cleaning pads and brushes, including wire brushes with metal bristles. Food particles and grease removed from the grill, however, often remained on the cleaning tools, intertwined with the brush bristles and embedded in the cleaning pads and the removal of such matter from the cleaning implements constituted a task more challenging than the cleaning of the grill itself. In many instances, the accumulated food particles and grease could not be effectively removed from brush bristles and cleaning pads, even when placed in a dishwasher. Further, the placement of grill cleaning brushes, especially those with oversized long handles, within a dishwasher was problematic since the dishwasher space occupied by the cleaning implement often required the removal of other items which were to be cleaned in the dishwasher or interfered with the operation of dishwasher spray arms and the like.
Further, grill cleaning brushes were subject to relatively rapid wear and were often in need of replacement prior to the end of a single summer cooking season. Long handled brushes especially, were relatively costly and frequent replacement was necessary but unavoidable. In addition, it has been found that bacteria carried in uncooked and undercooked meat and poultry often transferred to wood implements such as cutting boards, trays and barbecue tools including wood handles of cleaning tools. The removal of such contamination from wood handled cleaning tools by placement in a dishwasher was impractical.